TOP OF THE SYSTEM
A look at how the current top 20 prospects did today. Note that this list doesn’t include players currently in the majors. If a player is in the majors, he will be removed, everyone below him will be shifted up a spot, and a new player will be added to the bottom of the list. If a player is out for the season (Jameson Taillon #1, Clay Holmes #12), he will be removed and everyone below him will move up a spot. Removing these guys doesn’t mean they have lost prospect status. It is just an attempt to get 20 active prospects on the list. Rankings are from the mid-season top 20 update, and links on each name go to their Pirates Prospects player pages.
1. Tyler Glasnow, RHP, Bradenton – DNP
2. Austin Meadows, CF, GCL Pirates – DNP
3. Reese McGuire, C, West Virginia – DNP
4. Nick Kingham, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
5. Alen Hanson, SS, Altoona – 1-for-4, BB
6. Josh Bell, RF, Bradenton – DNP
7. Harold Ramirez, OF, West Virginia – DNP
8. Cole Tucker, SS, GCL Pirates – 2-for-3, BB, SB
9. Luis Heredia, RHP, West Virginia Power – DNP
10. Mitch Keller, RHP, GCL Pirates – DNP
11. Adrian Sampson, RHP, Altoona – DNP
12. JaCoby Jones, SS, West Virginia – DNP
13. Casey Sadler, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
14. Andrew Lambo, OF, Indianapolis – Disabled List (5/30 Update)
15. Joely Rodriguez, LHP, Altoona – 5.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 HR
16. Michael De La Cruz, OF, GCL Pirates – DNP
17. Trey Supak, RHP, GCL Pirates – DNP
18. Buddy Borden, RHP, West Virginia – DNP
19. Stetson Allie, 1B, Altoona – DNP
20. Gage Hinsz, RHP, Unsigned
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DAILY SUMMARY
Top Hitter: Matt Hague, 3B – 3-for-4, 2B, HR
Home Runs: Matt Hague (12), JaCoby Jones (9), Jordan Steranka (6), Keon Broxton (5), Gift Ngoepe (5), Enyel Vallejo (1), Danny Arribas (1)
AAA: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
Result: Toledo 5, Indianapolis 3
Starting Pitcher: Adam Wilk, LHP – 6.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Matt Hague, 3B – 3-for-4, 2B, HR
Other Notable Performers:
Michael Martinez, 2B – 2-for-4
Jose Tabata, RF – 1-for-3
Game Notes: Adam Wilk pitched around trouble through the first two innings, but it caught up with him in his final four innings of work. Wilk, who was consistently in the mid to high 80s, allowed a run in each of those final four innings. While he stretched out eight hits, Wilk also struck out eight hitters. His season high is nine, but he struck out six in back to back starts on June 10 and 15.
Following Wilk, Josh Kinney struck out four hitters in two innings of work in relief. Josh Wall also worked a scoreless inning with strikeout.
Matt Hague added his 12th double and 12th home run of the season. Chris McGuiness added a single. Since June 21, McGuiness is 13-for-37. – Ryan Palencer
AA: ALTOONA CURVE
Result: Bowie 4, Altoona 3
Starting Pitcher: Joely Rodriguez, LHP – 5.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 HR
Top Hitter: Jarek Cunningham, 3B – 3-for-4, 2B
Other Notable Performers:
Keon Broxton, CF – 1-for-4, HR
Elias Diaz, C – 2-for-3
Kelson Brown, 1B – 2-for-3, 2B
Gift Ngoepe, 2B – 1-for-4, HR
Game Notes: Keon Broxton hit his fifth homer of the year. Gift Ngoepe also hit his fifth homer of the year. Ngoepe’s career high is nine homers in 2012, although he hasn’t hit more than five in any two seasons outside of this year and that 2012 season. Broxton was the player of the month in May, but went on an extreme cold streak, with a .370 OPS during the month of June. Joely Rodriguez got back to his hot and cold season, following a great outing last time with a poor outing this time out. Ryan Beckman and John Holdzkom combined for three perfect innings with five strikeouts.
A+: BRADENTON MARAUDERS
Result: Bradenton 5, Fort Myers 4
Starting Pitcher: Orlando Castro, LHP – 6.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 1 HR
Top Hitter: Eric Wood, 3B – 3-for-4, 3 2B
Other Notable Performers:
Jose Osuna, DH – 2-for-3, BB
Jordan Steranka, 1B – 1-for-3, HR, BB
Game Notes: Adam Frazier saw his hitting streak end at 13 games, while Raul Fortunato ended his at 12 games. Jordan Steranka hit his sixth homer of the year, and his fourth in his last six games. Eric Wood added three doubles, giving him 12 this season. Orlando Castro pitched another gem, giving up one run on one hit in six innings. In his last three starts he has given up one run on eight hits in 19 innings, with a 13:0 K/BB ratio.
A: WEST VIRGINIA POWER
Result: Hickory 11, West Virginia 6
Starting Pitcher: Luis Heredia, RHP – 6.0 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 HR
Top Hitter: JaCoby Jones, SS – 2-for-4, HR, SB
Other Notable Performers:
Chris Diaz, 3B – 2-for-5
Harold Ramirez, CF – 2-for-4
Edwin Espinal, 1B – 2-for-4
Erich Weiss, DH – 2-for-3, BB
Kawika Emsley-Pai, C – 2-for-4
Game Notes: West Virginia had a big night on offense, with six players having multiple hits. JaCoby Jones led a late comeback, hitting a three run homer to tie the game, for his ninth homer of the year. Harold Ramirez had two hits, extending his hitting streak to 23 games. Edwin Espinal extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a two hit night. The hitting was needed, as Luis Heredia had a bad outing, with nine hits and two homers. John Dreker wrote last week about how Heredia has been going the wrong direction with his development.
A-: JAMESTOWN JAMMERS
Result: Williamsport 6, Jamestown 3
Starting Pitcher: Tyler Eppler, RHP – 4.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Jordan Luplow, LF – 2-for-3, 2B, BB
Other Notable Performers:
Carl Anderson, CF – 2-for-4
Michael Fransoso, DH – 2-for-4
Tyler Filliben, SS – 2-for-4, 2B
Game Notes: Dan Gamache and Nate Baker continued their rehab, with Gamache playing seven innings and Baker throwing two innings in relief. Both are on pace to return to Altoona when their rehab is up. Carl Anderson had his sixth multi-hit game in his last nine games. He’s got a .338 average on the season, but isn’t adding much power, leading to an .812 OPS. That’s not bad for a top of the order hitter, but you’d like to see more power from a college guy in the lower levels. Jordan Luplow has been hitting for some power, and has a .371 average and a 1.096 OPS in his first ten games. Tyler Filliben had his fourth straight two-hit game.
RK: BRISTOL PIRATES
Result: Bristol 8, Pulaski 1
Starting Pitcher: Jon Sandfort, RHP – 4.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Enyel Vallejo, CF – 2-for-5, 3B, HR
Other Notable Performers:
Pablo Reyes, SS – 2-for-5, 2B
Danny Arribas, C – 1-for-5, HR
Nathan Tomaszewski, 1B – 2-for-3, BB
Junior Lopez, RHP – 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 0 HR
Game Notes: Jon Sandfort bounced back from a horrible outing in his last start to give up one run on four hits this time around. He struck out six and walked one, giving him a 13:1 K/BB ratio in 12 innings. Junior Lopez piggybacked with Sandfort, and threw five shutout innings, giving up one hit and striking out five. Lopez has a 3.48 ERA and an 8:0 K/BB ratio in his first 10.1 innings in pro ball. Enyel Vallejo hit his first homer of the year, and now has an .806 OPS in his first eight games in Bristol. Danny Arribas also hit his first homer of the year.
RK: GCL PIRATES
Result: Pirates 5, Yankees 3
Starting Pitcher: Jose Batista, LHP – 3.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Henrry Rosario, CF – 2-for-4, 2B, 3B
Other Notable Performers:
Cole Tucker, SS – 2-for-3, BB, SB
Sam Kennelly, DH – 3-for-4
Game Notes: Cole Tucker is off to a nice start at the plate, going 9-for-25 with a double in his first seven games. He had two hits today, extending his hitting streak to six games. Tucker has also shown a good ability to get on base, with a .484 OBP so far. He stole his second base of the year today. The guy he’s stealing playing time from is Sam Kennelly, who started today as the DH and added three hits. Kennelly is 6-for-15 with four walks, and should get time in the middle infield and at DH this season. The struggling Michael De La Cruz sat out for the second game in a row.
RK: DSL PIRATES
Result: Pirates 9, Angels 8
Starting Pitcher: Nestor Oronel, LHP – 2.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Luis Perez, 2B-SS – 3-for-3, 2B, 2 BB
Other Notable Performers:
Eliezer Ramirez, DH – 3-for-4, BB, SB
Jeremias Portorreal, RF – 2-for-4, BB
Game Notes: The Pirates won a thriller against the Angels on Tuesday, tying the score with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, then winning on a walk-off hit in the tenth. Eliezer Ramirez followed up his two hit game off the bench on Monday, with three hits, three runs scored and two RBIs on Tuesday. His two-out single in the ninth tied the game. The Pirates almost won the game in the ninth, as Jeremias Portorreal was thrown out at home plate on the hit by Ramirez. In the tenth, Yunelky Adames drove in Raul Siri with the game-winning run. Adames now has 24 RBIs on the season. Starter Nestor Oronel got hit around in his two innings of work, but Carlos Bustamante followed him with one run over four innings to keep the game within reach. Mister Luciano picked up his first career victory. Infielder Luis Perez had three hits, drove in three runs, drew two walks and had a sacrifice fly. Portorreal had two hits, a walk and drove in a run. – John Dreker
You can check out the DSL Pirates week four recap here.
